European provision of regional impacts assessments on seasonal and decadal timescales (EUPORIAS)

EUPORIAS is a 4-year collaborative project funded by the European Commission and initiated on 1 November 2012. The project aims to develop and deliver reliable seasonal and decadal predictions of the impacts of future climatic conditions on a number of key sectors, such as water, energy, health, transport, agriculture and tourism.

WHO´s role in the project is to:

contribute to a systematic literature review of the use of seasonal and decadal prediction across the health sector;

develop a set of climate information indices relevant for the health sector;

organize meetings with the WHO European working group on health in climate change (HIC) to discuss and assess the usefulness of the seasonal weather prediction tool.

Daily and weekly updated web-based forecasts will be made available free of charge in at least 32 European countries. At a seasonal scale, this forecasting tool will make major climate-related events visible, helping health care institutions and ministers of health plan ahead.

WHO’s activities in the project contribute to strengthening climate change and health research as well as reducing mortality and morbidity from extreme weather events.